Fall is quickly approaching, and what better way to spend a crisp fall night than cozying up underneath the covers with a warm cup of apple cider and a good book. Fall is a time for endless novels in between college classes and campus commutes. Books are great for passing the time and winding down after a stressful assignment, or even just to pass the time in your local coffee shop with a pumpkin spice latte. My bookshelf is overflowing with recent reads such as some fantasy, thrillers and poetry books that I adore and recommend for the fall season. What better way to spend your chilly fall hours than falling in love with some of these books?

“The Woman in Cabin 10’ by Ruth Ware – This is the perfect book to get you in the mood for the upcoming spooky season. The story follows the main character, Lo Blacklock, a journalist struggling to maintain her position until given the life-changing opportunity to report on the newest luxury crew ship that is about to hit the waters. What Blacklock doesn’t know is that this opportunity is not only life-changing, but also life-threatening. This novel is a thriller mystery with many sharp plot twists and turns that will leave you craving more.

“Caraval” by Stephanie Garber – This book is a fantasy novel that will cause you to never want to leave the magical inner world of these pages. This novel follows the life of two sisters who escape their cruel father by stepping into the magical world of Caraval where everything is just a game. Scarlett and Tella uncover secrets from the past while also experiencing love, loss, heartbreak and confusion in this world of wonder where nothing seems real, but everything feels real. Follow these two sisters throughout this mystical tale to help differentiate what is real and what is just a game. This novel will help you escape reality for a few hours. If you become super invested, don’t worry, there are two more books in this trilogy.

“Monday’s Not Coming” by Tiffany D. Jackson – This one has it all as a thriller, mystery, fiction and suspense novel that brings real-life issues to light. This novel is depicted through the lens of a young Black teenager, Claudia, who explores the many layers of race, mental illness and poverty as she notices her best friend is missing. Claudia alerts her teachers and the police, but an investigation is never done, which leads Claudia to her own investigation. She slowly begins to stumble upon evidence that will change her life forever. This is a heavy read, but an important one that fuels hard conversations and will possibly challenge the way you think.

“Film for Her” by Orion Carloto – A poetry collection that captures the beauty of life through film and poetry, “Film for Her” is a poetry book about people and places while also documenting love and loss through prose, poetry and short stories. Carloto invites readers to fall in love with life again while encouraging those to live in the present but also to acknowledge the past. This poetry collection is a beautiful visualization of poetry brought to life. It’s a light and fast read for those laid-back Sunday nights when all you want to do is light some candles and relax.

Look at any of these books when you’re ready to take a night off and cuddle up in blankets as you watch the leaves change to orange and red. They’ll leave you with that cozy and mysterious fall feeling in the crisp autumn air.